Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093083511177921/episodes/16818093083511213910
Golden Week.
For some students, it is their second favorite long vacation after summer vacation.
Especially for high school sophomores, it is an important time when they get to know their new friends better and spend time together without thinking about their studies, or if they have a girlfriend, spend time together with her.
I, Tahara Hikaru, was supposed to be in the latter category.
Until I picked up the phone.
[We’re breaking up.]
It was the first day of the Golden Week holidays, and I answered the phone to my childhood friend and girlfriend, Arimura Yui, who told me that she was breaking up with me. I almost froze at her unexpected line, but I managed to squeeze out a few words.
“W-Why? Did I do something to make you dislike me?”
“No, you haven’t done anything that I don’t like.”
“T-then why ……”
“Hikaru didn’t do what I didn’t like, but he also didn’t do what I wanted. That’s why.”
When she told me what she wanted to do, I turned my head and thought back on the memories I had with her.
Whenever she wanted to go somewhere, I would go with her, and I had most of the money. For that purpose, I was working hard at my part-time job and was planning to take advantage of Golden Week as well.
We held hands, hugged and kissed.
I had not done anything beyond that because I thought it was still too early, but I had done everything else. What more did she want me to do?
As I was thinking about this, she added more words.
“And I’m in love with someone else.”
So that’s what she meant.
Hearing those words, I understood. The reason she gave earlier must have been a cover.
She found someone more attractive than me.
Well, it can’t be helped.
I was taking advantage of the fact that Yui was a childhood friend of mine, and I hardly paid attention to fashionable things, my hair was long enough to catch my eyes, and I was acting like a shady person at school.
Yui told me it was fine as it was.
But how many times have I thought in my heart that I didn’t deserve to be next to Yui?
The new guy she fell in love with must be stylish, cool and cheerful.
Maybe that boyfriend would be more suitable for Yui.
“I understand. I hope it goes well.”
“Yeah. Thanks. Bye-bye.”
After I heard her words, the phone was already off
At the end of the call, I said I hope everything goes well, but inside I was so sad that I hardly left my room from the first day of the Golden Week holidays.
I have few friends who care about me, and since I live alone, my parents don’t say anything to me.
It wasn’t so bad for me, as I don’t want to have anything to do with anyone right now.
―――――――――――
It was three days after the start of Golden Week that this environment changed.
My plans for Golden Week were totally ruined because I had planned to spend it with Yui, but today was the day I had a part-time shift that I had put in between, so I did the heavy lifting and was walking under the white morning sun for the first time in three days.
My girlfriend was gone and I had no more money to spend, but it was a good opportunity because I felt bad about canceling my part time job because she dumped me and I had a feeling that I needed to switch
“Good morning.”
“Tahara-kun! Good morning. It’s been a long time. Have you lost some weight while I haven’t seen you?”
When I arrived at a large shopping mall in my neighborhood, where I would be working today, Muraoka obaa chan, who also worked there part-time, approached me.
“It’s been a long time, but the last time I saw you was about two weeks ago, and you haven’t changed that much.”
“Moou~, so cold~. During the growth stage, if you let go of it, it’ll get big right away.”
“Don’t worry, my growth spurt is over, and I won’t change.”
“Speaking of which, today is Tahara-kun’s day, right?”
“Yes.”
The day in means that my part-time job is to support the activities of Hikarun, the mascot character of this area, from the inside
“Please be careful, it’s getting hotter these days. I’ll be by your side to take care of you.”
“Thank you.”
While having such a conversation, I get ready for my part-time job.
In the meantime, the other part-timers started to arrive at the office one after another, and it was time for their part-time jobs.
““Kyaaa!””
“”Hikarun!””
As I walked around the mall in my costume for a bit, little kids came running up to me (Hikarnn), hugging, hitting, and waving at me.
Hikarun is quite popular around here.
It’s not bad to see such a scene from inside a stuffed animal, feeling like a celebrity.
My fellow part-timers, including Muraoka obaa chan, who is standing by my side, calm the children down, and allow them to take pictures of me.
We continued this exchange until we had completed the first floor of the shopping mall, and after a little over two hours, we decided to go back to the backyard for a break.
On the way back, I saw a girl crying in the middle of the street in the narrow field of view of this stuffed animal.
I went to the girl, and seeing the scene, Muraoka obaa chan must have noticed, because she crouched down in front of the girl and asked, “Are you all right?”
“…..”
She did not respond.
She was probably about the age of a kindergartener. She was wearing a cute flower-patterned one-piece dress and her hair was tied in black twin-tails that reached her back.
The girl didn’t cry out loud, but just shook her shoulders, and when I, Hikarun, gently stroked her head with my hand, she looked up.
“Did you come here alone, little girl? Where are your mom and dad?”
Muraoka obaa chan asked, and the girl shook her head.
“I see~, then who did you come with?”
“……, onee chan.”
“I see. Onee chan. Then, let’s look for your sister together with Hikarun.”
The girl’s gaze shifted from her to mine as she said those words as she stood up.
I guessed it from the curious look in the girl’s eyes, so I reached out and squeezed her hand.
Cute.
Then, the search for her sister began with the girl who had regained a little smile.
“Onee chan!”
After wandering around the shopping mall for a while, the girl let go of my (Hikarun’s) hand and ran in a certain direction.
Perhaps hearing her voice, the woman who was called “onee-chan” turned around to look at me.
Her anxious face cleared up at once at that moment.
She must have been very anxious.
I mean, that person ……
“Saki nee!”
Saki ne-chan (I just found out her name), who hugged her sister tightly with the momentum of running, was relieved, but the tears that once came back to her eyes were coming up again.
As if to soothe them, she continued to apologize while patting her head.
“Um!”
As we turned on our heels to leave after watching the scene, a voice called out to us from behind.
“Please let me give you something in return.”
“Thank you? I don’t need any thanks~. We just did what we were supposed to do.”
I swayed my whole body vertically with all my might to express my agreement with obaa chan’s words, even though I couldn’t speak them.
“…but since I was saved, even a little ……”
“If you insist, then do it to Hikarun. Besides,…….”
Obaa chan beckons the sister over and tells her something in a small voice.
“Yes. I’ll say so then. I’m Matsumura Hina. Thank you very much for your help this time.”
The moment I heard that name, the face and name in my memory matched perfectly.
The reason is that Matsumura Hina was a very popular madonna among the boys in the same class as me.
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